Changes to meal plans coming this fall

Over the summer, Seton Hall’s Pirate Dining Room will undergo several renovations and implement new continuous operating hours for the fall 2018 semester.

According to Alfred Frungillo, the chief executive officer of Gourmet Dining, students may enter the board dining room from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day of the week and as many times as they wish.

Amanda Courtney/Staff Photographer

The dining hall’s beautification will include a renovation of the serving areas. Additionally, a station featuring a chef will prepare pre-ordered meals throughout the day. The station will include meals for students with special dietary restrictions along with vegetarian entrees for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Another food station shall be located in the center of the cafeteria. The station will include new menu additions and the station’s menu shall change weekly. Moreover, a separate food station will provide hot and cold gluten free items and snacks.

As a partnership, the University, Student Government Association (SGA) and Gourmet Dining developed a continuous dining service for the Seton Hall community.

A memo from Gourmet Dining and Seton Hall University stated that the University’s dining arrangement includes the “finest, longest serving periods and most reasonable priced continuous dining for private universities in the state.”

Furthermore, the memo included that students can enter the dining hall as many times a day as one desires and may stay as long as they want.

“The year following, all Seton Hall students living on campus will be on a continuous dining plan, along with all freshman on mandatory continuous dining plans,” the memo stated.

Pan said the first step toward achieving these initiatives involved presenting them to Frungillo and the administration.

“By working with them, we were able to come up with solutions that addressed several concerns that the students had,” Pan said.

Peter Trunk, Director of Administrative Services, said that the renovation project is broken into two phases; the addition and the renovation. The cafeteria’s atrium addition was completed last summer and the renovation will begin May 17.

Trunk said that “the board dining side of the cafeteria is being completed renovated from top to bottom.”

In addition, he said the renovated cafeteria includes brand new flooring, ceiling and lighting. Within the renovation plans, a new serving island, two new beverage/dessert islands, a new allergy/dietary specialties section and four new private restrooms will be added.

On April 30 SGA and Gourmet Dining representatives held an open meeting in the Student Living Room discussing the future changes for the fall.

“The forum consisted of a showcase that displayed several vendors that GDS might potentially be working with in the future; these vendors included a coffee company, a vegan/vegetarian company, and three different dessert/cupcake companies for the Jubilee Café.” Pan said that Jubilee Café’s name is subject to change.

Pan also mentioned that the renovations include continuous dining, ordering kiosks, a Boost Mobile ordering application and a veggie island station.

In regards to the new ordering app, Pan said the application allows one to conveniently order from their mobile device, while preventing line congestion.

“The result will be a clean look that will brighten up the dining experience,” Trunk said. “All renovations will be completed by Aug. 22.”